sunlight through closed eyes
by xfucktheglasses
Summary: You could be my unintended. —Grucy.


For Hannah.

**sunlight through closed eyes**

Her nose crinkled when she laughed.

It was the cutest of things that Gray had ever seen, and Gray wasn't all that into calling things cute. But on her it looked cute; the creases around her button nose, he could count them with his fingers and it made her look like a small child. Her smile was big and bright and her laugh was something he liked to hear a lot.

Like wind-chimes being seduced by the wind, dancing slowly and making a pretty song.

Gray watched her as they stood in front of the penguins.

Lucy was leaning against the rail, propped on the bottom bar to give her a boost. Her golden hair fell over her shoulder and the little ponytail at the side of her head twirled in place. Lucy could look so innocent and so cute; Gray hated using the word cute. But Lucy could easily be it, even with her killer curves and her tantalizing appeal.

She could be anything, he decided.

"Oh, look!" She turned to him, grinning and pointing a finger. "That one's obviously making a show for us."

Gray tore his eyes away from her and looked down at the penguin as it dived into the freezing water for the nth time, coming out and onto the island and making a squawk like sound. Gray raised an eyebrow.

"Oh," Lucy moaned, pouting, "I wish I had a fish to feed you, little guy…"

He snorted and rolled his eyes. "You're not supposed to feed them, anyway."

Lucy's pout increased. "But he deserved it!"

Gray rolled his eyes again.

Penguins were too mainstream. He liked narwhals; but those would never make their way to the local Magnolia Zoo.

"C'mon, Luce," he said, nudging his head to the side and tearing away from the rail. "Let's go look at the seals."

She stared down at the penguins for a second longer before walking after him, something like a skip in her stride. Her hands were clasped behind her, hair bouncing with each of her steps as her honey-brown eyes darted from one section to another. "So glad you brought me to the zoo, Gray. Natsu hates it here."

Gray swallowed and nodded.

.

.

.

They were sitting on the ground, in the middle of a wheat field.

The sun was out, high above the sky. Golden like the field and like Lucy's hair and Lucy's grin. The sky was bright and clear and oh so blue; blue was their shared favorite color. Blue were the color of Gray's eyes; cerulean; dark blue and almost gray, like his name. The wind was soft and pleasant tickling at their hair and dancing with the wheat. The leaves of the giant apple tree behind them ruffled.

Gray went out of his way to please her, he decided.

He hated the sun, but there he sat in the middle of nowhere, legs sprawled in front of him and arms supporting his weight as he watched her hold up jellybeans into the sky, gleam into them before flicking them into her mouth.

There was an entire bag in between them, big and filled with colorful beans.

"You should try it, Gray!"

And he liked how his name rolled off her tongue.

"Try what," Gray drawled, pretending to not be paying attention to her; rather he made it seem he'd been engrossed watching his motorcycle and fingering the cig tucked behind his ear.

Lucy looked over at him, caramel eyes sparking. "Here."

She handed him a jellybean, placed it in his palm. "Now— DON'T EAT IT—hold it up into the sky and stare at it. Oh, look you got a white one. Those are yummy."

Gray was smirking crookedly, doing as he was told.

And honestly, Gray didn't see the point; but maybe that was the point in itself; to have no reason to do it other than just _doing it_. You could never know with Lucy, he'd come to learn over the few days he's spent with her. Short of an enigma, she was more like complex and weird, all wrapped up with confidence and cute.

He flicked the bean into his mouth and turned to her, watching as she mimicked his move.

Gray reached for another bean and held it up.

"Oh, _ew_," Lucy, wrinkled her nose, "You got the black one. Disgustinggg."

He'd take her word for it. Maybe he should—

"NO, NO, NO!" She shook her head, furiously, throwing herself over the bag of jellybeans. "Now you gotta eat it!"

"But—"

"NO!"

Gray blinked his eyes as she laughed.

.

.

.

"I don't know if I should feel pity, for you."

Gray sighed for the nth time, slouching further in his seat on the black leather couch. His knees hit the edge of the coffee table; Gray slid his cig in between his lips, but didn't light it. His eyes followed his roommate's movements as she went about, compulsively cleaning little nothings and imaginary dust.

Erza was weird.

"Why would you pity me," he asked, though he already knew the answer.

In his defense, it wasn't his fault.

Erza whirled around from the fireplace, flaming-red hair flying everywhere as she glared at him with dark eyes. "Gray. You're in love with your best friend's girlfriend."

"You're my best friend." Which was true; he'd known Erza way before he met that idiot Natsu.

"Don't give me that!" Erza was fuming, which wasn't all that new.

Gray eyed her under his messy dark hair.

Everyone knew it'd be a complete mess when Natsu asked Gray to hang out with his girlfriend, Lucy, while he was out of Magnolia and Gray agreed. Well, everyone but Gray (and Natsu; but Natsu didn't count coz he wasn't in the picture).

"S'not my fault," Gray muttered, sinking lower, in his seat.

Erza glared, harder, and shook her head, muttering things under her breath as she resumed her cleaning. Gray figured she actually did pity him because he received no punch or smack or abuse.

He sighed and got off the couch, walking to the balcony and taking a smoke to forget.

.

.

.

It was raining out, the night before Natsu came back.

The sky was gray and gloomy and dark; no sparkles that matched her eyes. Lucy's eyes always held this spark within them; mischief, delight, curiosity – it was always something. But though her eyes, closed as she laughed and wobbled in place, still held that spark, the stars were sleeping tonight. Too lazy to come out in the rain.

Maybe they were cold.

Gray was grinning as he extended his arms at his sides to keep his balance.

He was sopping, but that was okay coz so was Lucy. His worn out leather jacket hung around her, swallowing her; she looked tinier than ever as she wore it. Gray liked seeing her with it on; he ignored the Erza in his head as she began to hiss.

"Green light!"

They both sprinted down the clearing, wheat rustling and groaning under their feet.

"Red light!"

And they froze, Lucy tripped a couple of steps and Gray chuckled.

"Off you go to the back, Luce."

"No fair! It was the mud and—"

"No mud here," he said, grinning lopsidedly.

Lucy let out a shrilly sound as she shoved herself against Gray, making them both stumble and laugh before she stomped way back to the start line.

"I don't even know where the line is!"

"You'll find it," Gray called out, grinning, and staring ahead.

"Ugh! Fine!" There was rustling and groans and shrilly little noises before, "Green light!"

Gray jogged, this time, and let out a loud "Oof!" when she collided with his back and sent them both toppling to the floor. Lucy was laughing to the point where it came out hoarse and she curled into herself as her stomach cramped. Gray was grinning and chuckling and staring up at the cloudy dark sky.

It continued to rain and they told stories in sync with the pitter-patter.

.

.

.

They stood awkwardly in the middle of the station, Lucy and Gray and Erza ("I don't want to miss _this_."), as they waited for Natsu's train to arrive. Lucy was fidgeting with her hands, Gray had his stuffed in the pockets of his jacket and Erza had her arms crossed in front of her chest. They were quiet, shifting around, staring, and poking at the tension that was existent to two.

When the train arrived, Gray's eyes glued onto Lucy, watching as she took a step forwards, hands still fidgeting and eyes searching.

His jaw tensed and he felt like a million paper hearts were taking place where his actual heart should be; a million, they might be, but they all crumbled and died under the rain of something like acceptance and loss. Erza jabbed her elbow at his side and he turned to look at her, eyes hollow under his messy forelocks. She pursed her lips and shook her head; the closest to condolence he'd get from her.

Gray nodded, slowly, and turned back just as the train allowed its passengers out. A head of pink hair, bright eyes and sharp smile appeared within the crowd and Lucy disappeared from their side as she went off and threw herself on him.

"Natsu!" She was all smiles and happiness, Gray noticed. It kind of killed him to know it wasn't just him that made her, that way.

But what was he expecting.

He sighed and waited for the right moment, begrudgingly giving the couple time.

"God, this is awful," Erza muttered under her breath. And Gray kind of agreed.

"Oi, Gray!"

He would have brittled up and prepared for another brawl to add to the pile, had Erza and Lucy not been there. Gray and Natsu were always civilized when the girls were around.

Gray nudged his head in a salute, extending his arm and meeting Natsu's fist halfway.

"'Sup, Natsu."

He stuffed his hand back into the pocket and half-listened as Natsu began to talk to Erza. He sighed, deeply, lowering his head to get some of his messy hair to fall over his eyes, some more, as he neared Lucy. His jaw was tense as he clenched it, throat dried no matter how much he swallowed.

Shit, this was bad. Gray kind of hated himself.

"Hey, Luce," he muttered, smirking at her as she turned her honey colored eyes to him.

She grinned at him, "Gray… I had so much fun with you. We should hang out more often. Our adventures are too cool to quit."

Gray chuckled and took something out of his pocket. He handed it to her, placing it in her palm. He held onto her hand a little longer before he withdrew, as if he'd gotten burned.

"You were my greatest adventure, Luce," he murmured, staring at the necklace with a tiny jar of glitter as a pendant (for her glitter collection, he'd thought, when he saw it), before looking up at her for one last time.

Lucy was staring at him with a look in her eyes; unexpectedness or something. Gray wasn't good at deciphering such things, so he didn't even try. He grinned at her, crookedly, ignoring her lips forming words and ignoring her eyes holding some sort of meaning. He nudged at Erza and made to leave.

He didn't look back, as he walked away, slinging an arm over his best friend's shoulder.

He didn't want to see Lucy staring at him with what he figured was regret.


End file.
